Questions Of The Heart

“Questions of the heart”

Matthew 6:19-24

Ten Percent Of Apple Computer For $800

I’d like to begin this morning with a story.

It involves these men [photo of Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs].

You probably recognize them: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, Ronald G. Wayne

Most people Know the 2 Steves as the founders of Apple

who is third is Ronald G. Wayne?

Ronald Wayne was the third co-founder of Apple, with a ten percent ownership stake.

Remember that figure: ten percent.

How wealthy is Ronald Wayne? Not at all:

he sold his ten percent stake in Apple for $800

Would you be willing to pay $800 for ten percent of Apple Computer today?

Apple today is worth about $800 Billion dollars.

And so that ten percent stake in 1976 would today be worth about $80 Billion dollars.

Ronald ended up trading 80 Billion dollars for $800:

He got his $800, but he missed

Here’s the math: 80000000000 - 800 = 79,999,999,200.00

He made a bad trade

Jesus warns us of the same thing today: Don’t make a bad trade:

Don’t trade the reward of heaven for the treasure of earth (X2)

I have 3 questions today that should help us focus on our heavenly treasure

Where are your heart and treasure? Matt. 6:19-21 (ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Here we have the treasures of heaven, and also the treasures of earth:

And a choice must be made between them

Heaven’s treasure last forever and are secure, and we receive them when we die.

Earth’s treasure are perishable, unsecure and we leave them when we die.

Heavenly treasure is the obvious choice:

We want heavenly treasure

But earthly treasure tries to steal our heart’s attention

Jesus says it’s hard for a rich person to enter God’s Kingdom:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25

So what is the problem?

The problem is not having stuff, the problem is when stuff has us. (X2)

The DANGER is that we begin to worship the gift instead of the giver of the gift

What has your attention?

What is it your mind is drawn to in you alone time?

Where does your heart wander?

Is it somewhere Godly and Holy?

Or is lustful and covetousness?

2 Corinthians 10:5b “....take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

This world is not going to last:

The world and everything in it will one day burn up

It will be destroyed,

For the Christian this world is temporary

You can’t hold onto the things of this world

Things of this world won’t last and you can’t take them with you:

But these temporary things can steal our heart

They can distract us from our heavenly treasure

There is salvation or security in the things of this world.

We are the wealthiest people in the history of the world:

We have more than we need

If we are healthy and willing to work we have a good chance of living like kings

And instead of being humble and thankful to God for his wealth

We always want more, newer, better, bigger and nicer…..

Do not worship the false god of materialism

Do not bow down to the Idols of this world.

Wealth and possessions are stealing the hearts of America:

We are in an economic boom right now, incomes are up, the stock market is up

Church giving is down, there is money for ourselves, but not for God

We live in a land where people spend $50,000 on a car

But never point it in the direction of the Lord’s house

Don Williams in “One Good Well” sings

“Don’t it seem kinda funny that people with a lot of money only hunger for more? You’d think they’d learn that money can burn, it’s love that keeps the wolf from the door.”

Understand that our heart needs to be focused on God, and our treasure is in heaven

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1

Jesus is saying that your heart will always follow your treasure,

make sure your heart is following the right thing

What are you looking at?

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)